Thursday Evening Racing Series
The racing series is welcome to all, and like all our events is designed to have an educational component, so in addition to improving your sailing skills, we may also practicing advanced skills like navigation, reefing and man over board drills, by incorporating them into the race! Of course, one design racing is far and away the best way to refine your sailing skills, and learn how small differences in sail trim or steering have a big impact on speed. Plus learning to working together effectively as a team and grow is rewarding in any endeavor.

If you wish to steer, you must have completed our Intro to Sailing course, either via the weekend or Tuesday night program. Each boat will have one or 2 captains, who will be SSC members. The SSC members will do the starts and about half the driving upwind and downwind. If you have completed the Intro courses, you will qualify as a helmsman and you can and will do some of the steering as we will rotate through positions. We try to set up the courses to get in 4 or more starts, helping you refine your strategy on the line.

Boats start leaving the dock at 6:00 pm. We have in the past and will continue to offer women’s only boat as often as possible, along with singles or rainbow boats if sufficient interest. Since we race close to the dock, you often can jump on a boat at any point up to the last race. The races will be cancelled if small craft warnings are posted, the winds are over 18 knots, gusts are over 22 knots, or there is moderate to heavy rain or lightning. We normally look at the New Haven and UConn Western Long Island Sound weather stations for wind strengths.

The Thursday evening racing series starts late June, and continues for every Thursday till mid-September, for a total of approx. 14 evenings. The cost is $40 per person for non-members or $10 per person for members, and includes an after race cookout or pizza and beer. Members can invite one guest at the member rate (and additional guests at the non-member rate). Non-members may purchase a 6 pack of cruises for $180.

Spring Frostbiting Series
Spring Frostbiting happens in March and April. Race times are every Sunday from 12:30 am to 2:30 pm. The races will be cancelled if small craft warnings are posted, if the winds are over 15 knots or gusts are over 18 knots, when the colder, denser air has more force.

Fall Frostbiting Series
Fall Frostbiting runs in November and December. Race times again are 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Our New Year’s regatta runs on January 1st. You can be one of the first ones out on the Sound! We may also cruise out to Sheffield Island to see the seals if it is low tide. The races will be cancelled if small craft warnings are posted, if the winds are over 15 knots or gusts are over 18 knots, when the colder, denser air has more force.

Caribbean RacingCaribbean Racing events are mostly three day long weekend races, with great parties at the end of each day. The racing starts at the end of February, and continues on through April. We charge $600 for non-members and $480 for members for and one day of practice three days of racing.

Newport or Marion to Bermuda Race
Newport Bermuda is run on even years (2016, 2018). This is the one of the three major ocean races in the world (the others being the Sydney/Hobart race and the Fastnet race), the Newport Bermuda Yacht Race. Generally a 4-day race towards the end of June (around the same time as the Block Island Race Week), the Newport Bermuda is almost three different races. First is a coastal conditions race out to the Gulf Stream. Naturally, the waves often build as you head offshore, and the first night out is generally cool out. Your target is often an advantageous eddy or meander in the Gulf Stream, which you ride as long as possible (and sometimes is not at all what was forecast). After you exit the Gulf Stream, it’s a drag race to the beautiful island of Bermuda. On odd years the ‘cruising’ race to Bermuda is run out of Newport.

More sailing, less expense and no maintenance. Compared to owning, renting or chartering, membership costs much less, with total flexibility to use the boat for both longer trips and short daysails. Continue Reading →